Sanford Cloud Jr.

Sanford Cloud Jr. is president and CEO of the National Conference for Community and Justice, a New York–based organization that works to fight bias and racism in the United States. In the following viewpoint, Cloud argues that cross-cultural dialogues are beneficial because they enable individuals to understand each other across racial and ethnic lines. Well-planned dialogues can profoundly change race relations as people come to recognize bias and discover new ways to address bigotry and discrimination.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. In what way does Cloud distinguish a cross-cultural dialogue from a onetime conversation on human relations?
2. What do facilitators usually do at the beginning of a cross-cultural dialogue, according to the author?
3. According to Cloud, what was the result of the “Anytown” prejudice-reduction program in Alabama"

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